


Locked Away at Sea

by silver_ring5



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment, Kagi no Kakatta Heya | The Locked Room Murders, Lucky Seven (TV 2012), Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri, Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato De, Platina Data
Genre: Aiba Masaki - Freeform, Arashi - Freeform, Detectives, Eita, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kitagawa Keiko - Freeform, Matsumoto Jun - Freeform, Ninomiya Kazunari - Freeform, Ohno Satoshi - Freeform, Organized Crime, Romance, Sakurai Sho - Freeform, Toda Erika - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-19
Updated: 2013-05-19
Packaged: 2017-12-12 08:12:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_ring5/pseuds/silver_ring5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set a month after the final episode of Kagi no Kakatta Heya, Enomoto and Aoto unexpectedly find themselves on the same cruise ship. They're both there because of a jewelery heist, but definitely not for the same reasons. Forced to face truths neither wanted exposed, Enomoto and Aoto find their relationship changing quickly as the danger escalates. Quite a few familiar faces pop in to help them figure out what exactly is going on and how they can stop the criminals before time runs out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unexpected Renunion

“I didn’t ask for favors.”

“But you’ve received anyway, haven’t you Enomoto- _san_?”

“No.”

“You were my own little recluse once, weren’t you? Enomoto- _san_? Never ventured out, never sought companionship, never asked questions. Never wanted more. You were just given an assignment and you’d accomplish the task-- regardless of how impossible it was.”

The older man, the one that smelled like hair oil, circled Enomoto. The security employee was dressed unfamiliarly in a fitted black top with black pants. The way he perched on his knees, situated emotionlessly on the mat as the man spoke and a handful of other questionable men looked on, was classic Enomoto though. His face was stoic, never once exposing any of his inner thoughts or feelings.

The older man was vying for a reaction, but Enomoto would give none. In accordance with almost every day since high school, he was as readable-- and therefore vulnerable-- to the world as a Noh mask.

But they’d found her anyway.

Despite the fact that he came. Despite the fact that he was, once again, going to defy all logic and attain the unattainable-- it was not enough. They were attempting to take from him, again.

Aoto-san. The anomaly in his carefully constructed world. She was here. Where she certainly did not belong. His manipulations should have maintained a distance between himself and that person... but again, Aoto was behaving outside of his expectations. Enomoto did not like when his plans were altered.

“Imagine our surprise when we’d tried to, er, acquire your services again and instead found Shiina using your name as an alias!” The old man chuckled, none too kindly. “He was a bright one, and managed well enough for a while there, but he was no match for you, eh, Enomoto- _san_? Lucky he brought you to us, ne?”

“But it’s so unlike you,” he continued, “to offer not only payment but also your services in the place of someone else’s debt. Perhaps I really do not know this new Enomoto- _san_ that wears your face? Oh, but the payment in diamonds-- that’s truly in your style. Precious stones were always one of your specialties, ne, Enomoto- _san_?”

Enomoto knelt still on the floor, staring ahead at nothing in particular. So the man went on, “Now two of our men working as crew overhear this woman relaying these incredible locked-room mysteries to some wealthy chit and her butler-- and the stories all revolve around this ‘genius Enomoto- _san_ ,’ ” the old man was chuckling again, shaking his head a little, “You’ve become quite the social butterfly.”

Enomoto knew the odds of Aoto boarding this cruise ship coincidentally were nil to one. He wondered what she knew and who this wealthy woman was. Whoever she was, he was positive it was connected. Enomoto’s eyes flickered for a second to the old man. From the way Nishimura dismissed her, Enomoto didn’t believe the old man suspected the woman, nor was he affiliated with her.

“So are you going to tell us what your lady friend knows about our operation here?” Nishimura’s voice lost some of its humor, but he sounded almost jovial again when he added, “Because she’s just not talking, and I think she’s getting a bit tired of playing with the boys down below.”

Enomoto’s mouth twitched at those last words. He tilted his head pointedly to meet Nishimura’s eyes. Except for the slight movement of his lips, his face remained blank-- but the point was taken. Nishimura had Enomoto’s attention.

“She’s a corporate lawyer, ne? Working for the same firm that filed against Yagami when all those tapes and files were exposed? We took a big hit here during their downfall. It’s one of the reasons we started pursuing more lucrative business ventures, such as this one-- and why we are in need of your particular talents.”

Enomoto started to look away again when Nishimura asked, “Would you like to see her?”

“Yes,” Enomoto’s reply was immediate, his voice cool.

Nishimura gestured to a man, and soon there was the sound of the door banging open and scuffling feet. Two men drug a hunched-over Aoto into the room. Enomoto swallowed, but said nothing. He could see where her pants had been torn, and her bare arms showed bruises. Her hair wasn’t in its usual ponytail, but rather draped around her-- and there was blood, but Enomoto could not tell where it was coming from.

The two men brought her over in front of him, then dropped her in a heap. Aoto clutched at herself, wrapping both arms tightly around her sides, before lifting her head cautiously. When her eyes lit on him, she cried out, “Enomoto-san!”

He rose on his knees and barely responded with “Aoto-san,” before she lurched toward him. Both hands gripped his upper-arms and she ducked her face down against his chest. She was afraid, he realized, but Enomoto froze.  
Nishimura laughed, full-bodied now, and many of the on-looking men joined him. Enomoto looked down at the woman clutching at him and repeated quietly, voice only a hair unsteady, “Aoto-san.”

“I think we’ve gotten all we will from her tonight,” Nishimura chortled, wiping a tear, “Why don’t we let Enomoto- _san_ take her back to his cabin for the night? I’m sure they have a lot they’d like to discuss for tomorrow.” 

Enomoto let Aoto lean against him as they made their way to the cabin he was staying in. He remained slightly rigid as they walked, but Aoto never even lifted her head to acknowledge it. She just held tightly to him and was quiet. 

He wasn’t used to her being so quiet. He made a mental note of it. 

The cabin he’d been assigned was on the interior and rather small with a single-sized bed and a small washroom. When he’d first arrived on the ship, following the directions Shiina had given Enomoto before turning himself into the police, Enomoto had immediately scoped out any and all security devices, locks, and checked to see if his employer had bugged his room. He hadn’t. Really, Enomoto had not been remotely impressed by the lack of precautions in security Nishimura had taken for this operation.

But he didn’t care, either. He hadn’t come here to ensure the entire heist was a success. He was just here for the actual stealing of the jewels. If the rest of it was blundered, all the better, as far as Enomoto was concerned.

Although, as Aoto eased down to sit on his bed, Enomoto was really leaning towards hoping that the authorities, or at least, the security on board would catch wind of this. His personal life had been compromised, and that changed things.

Even while sitting, Aoto kept one hand fastened on his forearm where Enomoto had pushed his sleeve up. Carefully he peeled her hand from him and turned to the bathroom for a wash cloth to clean her up.

She made a slight sound, something like a whimper, when he was out of sight at the sink, but Enomoto didn’t react. He didn’t know the appropriate reaction, and therefore just hurried to wet the cloth with warm water.

“Aoto-san,” he said softly upon his return, but she kept looking down. He dabbed softly first over the scrapes and small cuts on her hands, arms, and the exposed parts of her legs where the pants had torn. Aoto appeared to be dressed expressly for vacationing, he noticed. She wasn’t in her regular beige business attire. Still, Enomoto wasn’t sure what that signified. He knew she wasn’t just on the cruise for a holiday.

But he cleaned her wounds quietly. Nothing appeared to be serious, and so he was silent. When it came to treating her face, Enomoto hesitated. He hadn’t touched anyone so much in a very long time, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d touched a woman’s face.

But this was Aoto-san, so he cleared his throat and softly asked her to look up. He didn’t want to meet her eyes, but when she lifted her head, he found he wasn’t looking away. He wanted to focus on the small cut over the bruise on her cheek, which appeared to be the only marring on her face, but her eyes held his.

One second, three seconds, maybe a minute. They just stared, then Enomoto brought his fingertips to rest under her chin. He dabbed at the cut on her cheek, not missing Aoto’s slight grimace.

“They think I know what you’re doing here,” she whispered, and his fingers froze for a moment before setting the cloth down.

He folded his hands in his lap, but didn’t respond. She took a shaky breath before adding, “They hit me.”

“I know,” he said, voice flat but quiet.

Tears welled in her eyes, and soon fat droplets were running down her face. Enomoto wanted to do something, but he wasn’t sure what. Before he could decide, Aoto leaned her head against his collarbone. He could feel her breath on his neck, and he clasped his hands a little tighter in his lap.

“I’m tired, Enomoto,” she murmured.

He moved to let her lie back on the bed, not intending to sleep that night anyway, but she clung to him.

“Stay, Enomoto-san,” Aoto sounded frightened again, but the request had the blood rushing to Enomoto’s cheeks. He sat down on the very edge of the bed, letting her hold onto his arm as he faced away from her.

Seconds passed, and then she tugged on his arm. He started to turn to look at her when Aoto pulled him down to lie with her. He didn’t have time to react before she wrapped her arms around him and buried her head against his chest.

“Aoto-san?” Enomoto realized he was saying her name a lot that night, but he really didn’t know what else to say. He tried to look at her, but he could only see the top of her head.

“It’ll be okay, Enomoto-san,” she sighed in response, “You’ll know what to do.” And then she was asleep, missing the bewildered expression that passed over his face. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aoto knew as she drifted to sleep that she was making Enomoto uncomfortable. She’d known she was when she clung to him as he led her away from that room to this cabin. But she didn’t really care, either. She hadn’t ever really thought about being held by Enomoto before, but the relief she’d felt when those men dropped her on the ground and she looked up and saw him kneeling in front of her. . . She just threw herself at him, and now she didn’t want to let go.

Enomoto’s strength had been unexpected. With her body flush against his, she’d felt the lean muscle beneath his thin black shirt; the muscles in his arms. He’s thin, but not slight. The feeling of his muscles beneath her fingertips made her body respond differently than she’d previously thought possible. Beyond that, holding on to Enomoto made her feel safe. Aoto’s heart was more at ease when she could feel him beneath her fingertips.

When she awoke, she was still nestled against Enomoto’s side. At some point, he must have fallen asleep too. His chest was rising and falling slowly, and Aoto slid her right hand up from his waist until she felt the beating of his heart. He didn’t stir, so she raised her head to look at the man she’d thought she knew up until a month ago when he’d disappeared.

His glasses were off, and his face looked younger and oddly alluring. He pursed his lips in his sleep, then turned his face slightly towards her. Aoto was surprised when her heartbeat quickened, and instead of thinking about it, she checked the little clock on the side table. It was only 5:30 in the morning. She should let him sleep for a while yet... Or should she wake him so they could get out of there? 

Aoto still wasn’t sure what Enomoto was doing there, but it definitely didn’t look good. She was going to have to get both of them out of there. She was fairly confident that if she told him to get both of them out, he would do it. 

And she was definitely going to tell him it was time for both of them to go. The questions those men kept repeating last night suggested Enomoto was involved in whatever was going on here-- a jewelry robbery, or something else very illegal. Aoto wanted to know why he was doing this, who these people were, but mostly, she just wanted to get out of the lower decks of this ship, where all this craziness was going on, and back to the top deck where she could report this to Reiko and the proper authorities. Safely, and with Enomoto-san.

Just thinking about the previous night killed the “safe” feeling she’d had moments ago. It was like ice water was suddenly pouring through her veins and, without thinking, she snuggled back into Enomoto.

She’d wake him in a little bit. Right now, she wanted a little more comfort.


	2. Change of Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter, and really, it's almost too short to be considered a chapter, but it was published this way on my livejournal (silver-ring5@livejournal.com), and I wanted to keep them the same.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! The following chapters are all a more suitable length.

When Enomoto awoke, Aoto was asleep again. Her body was as flush against his own as physically possible, as if she’d tried to melt into him, and Enomoto was not unaffected. He nudged her with his free hand (the other was trapped beneath her). She didn’t move so he laid there, completely still, for another second. He could feel her heartbeat against his side, marveled at her soft curves molded against him, and then cocked his head slightly to the side. He had that look on his face that said he was considering something, weighing options, and then his eyes flashed. Enomoto had come to a decision.

He turned to prop himself on an elbow, Aoto whining slightly in her sleep as he moved. He waited another second, then dipped his head slightly to press his lips to the corner of her mouth. Her lips twitched and she turned her face towards his body again, chasing the warmth. It had been a calculated risk. She could have woken up at that moment and he’d have been horrified. But she didn’t, and he wasn’t sorry.

He waited yet another moment, not wanting to break the strange moment he’d never foreseen them sharing, then slid off the bed. He had a lot of things to consider. All of his previous plans for this assignment were about to change.  
~~~~  
When he returned from the bathroom, Aoto was sitting in the middle of the bed and hugging a pillow to her chest. Her eyes snapped to his when she heard him re-enter the room.

“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so late. I should have gotten up earlier. We need to figure out what we’re going to do now. We need to come up with a plan,” her words rushed out and Enomoto stopped and listened patiently.

Aoto seemed to be returning more to her normal self, talking quickly, and this reassured him. “We’ll be okay. We just have to figure out how to get out of here and back to the main deck. I’m here with a friend in first class. I’m sure she’s wondering where I am, and she has a very clever butler. We’ll be okay. What do you think we should do, Enomoto-san?”

“Who is your friend?” Enomoto asked.

“She invited me to join her on this cruise. She’s an heiress, but she works as an investigator for the police. Her butler had read about the locked-room murders and wanted to discuss the cases because they had just dealt with a similar one-- oh, he helps her with her investigations. Anyway, when they arrested the culprit of that last case, the man implied that something was going to happen on this cruise. Something involving a necklace and bracelet set worth 80 million yen.”

Enomoto did not reply, but rather tilted his head down-- a move that meant he was thinking.

"Hmm...” Enomoto pursed his lips again and lifted his right hand to run his fingers together as he thought.

“I think I would like to speak with Nishimura. Please wait here,” He said shortly after, then turned on his heel towards the door.

“No!” Aoto fairly shouted as she scrambled off the bed, “No, no, no. We are sticking together. I’m not sure what’s going on, but you’re not going to be a part of it. I want to leave now, Enomoto.”

He looked at her for a moment before responding, “Does it matter if I go with you or stay here?” 

“Yes!” Aoto threw her hands up slightly, “It does matter! I’m not going without you. I spent all this time trying to find you, I’m not just leaving you here now. Whatever it is you’re doing, Enomoto-san, I do not approve.”

He contemplated her response, “Alright. Please follow me, then.”

“Where are we going?” Aoto asked as she started looking for her shoes before she remembered they were lost at some point the previous night.

“I want to see what kind of surveillance we are under, and where we are allowed to travel on the ship.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You should really get some sleep, my lady,” the young butler leaned closer to his mistress’ face, “You cannot help anyone if you pass out on the shuffleboards.”

His lady huffed and dismissed his suggestion with the wave of her pretty hand, “But we have to find her, Kageyama. We’re on a ship! How could she have just disappeared? Why isn’t her name on the guest ledger anymore?”

“Obviously there are sinister powers at work here, my lady. I will do my very best to investigate further while you nap,” Kageyama replied swiftly, leading her by her elbow towards her cabin.

“I do not want to sleep, Kageyama!” Reiko slipped from her butler’s grasp, “I want to find Junko-chan. She has to be somewhere on this boat. Someone has to know where she is. We never discussed the--,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “--jewelry heist rumor while on board, so why was she targeted?”

“Perhaps because of the locked-room mysteries she’s been involved with solving. Perhaps she’s made some enemies. If we do not wish to make the same enemies, I suggest we not discuss this out in the open, my lady.”

Smoothly, he took his lady’s elbow again and this time she let him guide her up a stairwell toward the cabin in first class.


	3. Who is Enomoto Kei?

As she walked behind Enomoto, Aoto focused mainly on not making a sound. So far, only two men had stopped them, and neither were interested in her. They were more intent on learning where Enomoto was going on an apparently significant day. Both men had made it sound like whatever was going on here, it was going down that night.

Aoto searched her memory for anything out of the ordinary scheduled on the cruise itinerary. Part of her wanted desperately to ask Enomoto what these men were talking about, what they were inferring he was a significant part of-- but she was also afraid of what he would say. All signs pointed to it, but the thought of hearing him actually say the words scared her. She didn’t want to hear him confess he was a criminal in that nondescript voice of his, as if it wouldn’t be a blow to her impression of him. As if all the cases they’d solved together didn’t matter.

As if she didn’t matter.

Perhaps he had a reason for doing this. If she asked him why-- if she really pressed him, he might explain. If Enomoto valued their friendship at all, he might deem her worthy of an explanation. But what if he said he’s doing it because he likes to? Because of the challenge? Hadn’t he always said he wasn’t interested in anything but unlocking the locked room? A cruise ship is like one big locked room, really. 

Aoto was so caught up in wondering what was going on, and if she should ask him about it, that she didn’t notice when he’d stopped climbing the stairs in front of her. Two steps behind him, she ended up slamming her face right into his ass, hands flying up to grip his legs to keep herself from falling.

Enomoto cleared his throat. Aoto’s face was beet-red when he slowly turned to face her, and she hurriedly issued an apology. “Sorry! Sorry!”

“Stay back for a moment,” his voice was levelled, yet commanding. Aoto nodded, and watched him climb the stairs. They’d reached a deck with regular tourists and staff. Maybe... Maybe they could just walk away from this. She’d take Enomoto to Reiko’s cabin and they would stay there until they docked someplace, or the proper authorities could be brought in.

As he reached the top of the stairs, his body was silhouetted by the white light of the open deck. Aoto held her breath and waited for him to tell her it was alright to follow, to signal her or something... but that time didn’t come. He reached the top and turned fluidly to the left and out of sight. She waited a minute or two, trembling when a man passed by the bottom of the stairs behind her. 

The minutes started to tick by, and Aoto found herself studying the bruises spotting her arms. Enomoto was taking a very long time to get back to her. Perhaps she should just go up a few more stairs to at least get a better view of the upper deck. Just a step or two more, and she might be able to hear any conversations being carried on up there.

“You!” A man’s voice beneath her made Aoto jump, “Come with me.”

She shot a look up the stairs, and considered darting up them away from the man, but he gripped her wrist and pulled her after him. Aoto tried to ask where he was taking her, but he didn’t respond, so she was wildly relieved when they turned a corner and he fairly flung her back into Enomoto’s little cabin. “Stay here. Do not try to come out,” the man ordered before slamming the door. She heard it lock behind him and wondered why he even bothered telling her to stay. Maybe he thought that because she knew Enomoto, she was good at opening locks? Aoto snorted.

Hardly.

And what happened to Enomoto anyway? Did someone stop him? Did he get away from these people? He’d come back for her, wouldn’t he? Maybe they were looking for him... Aoto hoped they didn’t find him, if they were. 

“You can trust him,” she said softly, to reassure herself. It wasn’t as easy to defend Enomoto’s character in her mind anymore. Serizawa had told her about the museum security cameras catching footage of Enomoto on the days large, unsolved heists occurred. And then these men acted like Enomoto was not only working for them, but suggested that he hadn’t always been Enomoto Kei to them. It seemed like they knew him by another name, but they didn’t tell her what. Not that she’d asked.

Still. Aoto was always ruled by her heart over her mind, and her heart told her she could trust him. Whatever was going on, he could explain his reasons later. First they just had to get out of it. Hopefully, he already had.

She realized she was pacing as she was thinking, and shook her head. Walking laps around the little room wasn’t going to help them. Unknowingly, Aoto had stopped in front of the bureau and was surprised by her reflection in the small mirror. That bruise on her cheek wasn’t pretty, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her hair was all over the place. Maybe she should take a shower. Would it be safe? Aoto shook her head and slipped into the small room. She’d take her chances.

 

It must have been another hour or so before she heard the lock in the door click as it was being opened. Aoto tensed, but then a man pushed Enomoto into the room. He stumbled, and before she realized what she was doing, she was on him. Throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing, she asked, “Enomoto! What happened? Are you okay?” The force of her body hitting his knocked him off balance, surprising Aoto when they both went toppling to the floor.

Enomoto’s head nearly hit the small bedside table as they went down, and the man at the door laughed. Enomoto avoided meeting Aoto’s worried face as he moved her off of him to the side, paused for a moment to stare at the underside of the tabletop, then stood up. He was slightly unsteady still, and Aoto soon saw why. Her intake of breath was sharp when she saw his face. Enomoto’s right eye was black and blue, as if he’d been punched. Instead of being swollen, though, there was a small but precise cut towards the top of his hooded eyelid. 

They’d cut him to stop the eye from closing. Why?  
“It’s pertinent I’m able to see out of both of my eyes tonight,” Enomoto said, smoothing his shirt. Aoto opened her mouth to ask why, but the man at the door spoke first, “Try to stay on this level from here on out, Satou. Cute girl you have there. Try to keep her that way.”

Enomoto didn’t react to the name, but Aoto did. As soon as the door closed, she was upon him.”Eh? Satou? Why did that man call you that? Wasn’t that the name the window-washer Shiina was using? What are you doing with him? Why would you use the same alias?”

Enomoto didn’t respond for a moment then replied, emotionless, “It isn’t my alias.”

He walked smoothly past Aoto to the washroom for a washcloth to dampen at the sink. Aoto gaped, but was able to snap out of it in time to stomp over to the sink and snatch the cloth from him. He straightened, still quiet, to look at her.

“Oh come sit on the bed. I’ll wash it, then I’ll get ice. If I can. And I probably can’t.”

“I didn’t get you ice,” Enomoto softly replied, voice tinged with what sounded like remorse.

“What? Oh, it’s fine,” Aoto wiped at the crusted blood around the cut on his eyelid, causing Enomoto to clench his jaw. He refused to flinch.

Aoto still caught the change in his expression, and laid a cool hand across his cheek, “Ah, I’m sorry if I hurt you. I wasn’t thinking... I just... What do you mean it isn’t your alias? What is Satou then?”

“It’s my name.” 

“What?” Aoto pulled her hand away from his face and stepped back, “Explain. Those men last night basically told me that Enomoto Kei wasn’t a name they were familiar with, but I didn’t expect the person you were lying to would be me.”

Enomoto turned to look towards the bedside table, but didn’t respond. Usually his lack of response didn’t bother Aoto, but it was frustrating now.

“Serizawa isn’t going to like it, either. You know he told me he’d defend you if it came to it? And I,” Aoto stifled a humorous laugh, “I told him it wouldn’t be necessary. That you were a good man. That we could have faith in you.”

Enomoto snapped his head back to look at her. His eyes were intense, and perhaps a little glassy. “One moment, Aoto-san.”

He slipped off the bed and went to crouch beside the small table he’d been staring at twice now. Aoto pursed her lips, growing more irritated. Then Enomoto reached under the table and seemed to pinch off something that was stuck underneath. Aoto couldn’t see what it was, and she didn’t get the chance as Enomoto walked fluidly past her into the small bathroom, closing the door behind him.

“What are you doing? Enomo-- Whoever you are. Come back out here. Aren’t you going to explain?” Aoto called through the door. She was getting anxious now. That conversation she’d been dreading was finally happening, and she wanted to get it over with. How wrong had she been about this Satou she’d thought was her friend. And there was something else about that name that she was struggling to remember. Something someone had said when she’d visited Shiina’s hometown, maybe. Aoto just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

While Aoto was struggling to remember, inside of the bathroom Enomoto was staring at a small device he was holding in the palm of his hand. Someone had bugged the room, and whoever it was, he wasn’t using the same brand of security/spying devices that Nishimura’s men were exclusively using for everything else. This was superior, and actually present. Nishimura had been lax in every other aspect of this operation. Hmm. Enomoto brought the device towards his face and whispered the location of a usually vacant but unsuspicious hallway and said that he would be there in two hours. Then he dropped the device into the toilet and flushed.

When Enomoto came out of the bathroom, Aoto just licked her lips nervously and crossed her arms, her posture clearly stating that she was waiting for him to start talking. He pursed his lips, then took a step or two away and started speaking quickly, as if he were outlining his conclusion of a murder in a locked room. Facing away, he started with, “My name is Satou Manabu. As you are aware, I have a great interest in locks. As a teenager, my interest prompted me to learn to unlock, or pick, every lock attainable. The more difficult the challenge, the more I want to open it. When I was twenty, I wanted to try my hand at a particular vault in the storage wing of the Mori Art Museum. It was the greatest challenge I’d taken on, this vault was a--”  
Aoto waved her hand, “Don’t tell me this. I don’t want to know this. Please skip ahead to where you become affiliated with these people, or when you decided to change your name, and just leave out if you’ve successfully stolen things. I can’t know that, Enomoto.”

“But that is why I came to work under Nishimura... I was sought after I successfully infiltrated a high-level--”

“Stop. I get it.” Aoto didn’t realize she’d get upset so fast, but there were tears already pricking her eyes.

“I never took anything. Or I never kept it, “ Enomoto went on, “Not until I was ‘drafted.’ I was much younger then. I didn’t understand the value of the freedom I was losing. When I did understand, I realized I had been locked in.”

“And no one can lock you in, can they Enomoto?” Aoto muttered, swiping a hand at the unwelcome tears that just wouldn’t stop.

Enomoto turned to look at her, and immediately pursed his lips and looked uncomfortable when he saw her expression. “I want to be wherever I choose. I want to be with who I choose. This was not possible working with Nishimura. I had to unlock the vault they put me in. I understand I am a very proficient tool. For Nishimura to steal, for Serizawa to turn deaths into murder cases. But I chose the latter.”

“So why did you come back to this?” Aoto waved her hand, gesturing to everything around them.

“I did not. Shiina did. He and I went to school together, before...” Enomoto paused, weighing his words.  
“Oh!” Aoto cut in, “I remember. That one neighbor woman showed me a class photo. I pointed at Shiina, thinking he was Satou... but she told me no. That Satou Manabu was a different boy, and she pointed to.. to you! She said that you’d been a friend of hers, but that you didn’t attend high school because you became a hikikomori---”

She tried to stop herself, but it was too late. Aoto’s emotions had gotten the better of her, and the word just came spilling out. Now she worried that she’d touched a sensitive part of Enomoto.

“No,” he responded, quietly, after some silence, “I did not attend high school.”  
Enomoto met her eyes again, and continued, “So Shiina, as was ascertained by the last case, was in trouble with various groups, or families, due to a high level of debt his father had left him. Shiina needed money and protection, and he learned that the name Satou Manabu was highly sought after. I had already taken the identity of Enomoto Kei by this point, but Shiina had assumed I was dead.”

“Dead?” Aoto asked. 

“He presumed suicide. It was not an unreasonable deduction. Still, it was incorrect. He was surprised when he finally did recognize me. I informed him that I’d understood how he killed the president, and he told me that he could not afford to be arrested. That Nishimura would have him eliminated for failing to pay for his debts. Shiina had been sought by Nishimura as Satou Manabu almost immediately, and was snared. Nishimura was not pleased to find someone pretending to be me. As long as Shiina proved proficient, Nishimura didn’t kill him or feed him to the other groups after him for money.”

“Going to prison would not be profitable for Nishimura, and Shiina did not want to die. He was already a prisoner, but in a glass box. Going to prison would actually set him free, he just needed to fulfill his debt to Nishimura. Those diamonds would have done that, but he was caught.”

“So you came to take his place, and with some of those diamonds, ” Aoto said quietly. 

Enomoto nodded once, “Nishimura stated this operation would be lucrative enough to wipe Shiina’s slate-- with everyone.”

“Yet, you’ve sacrificed your freedom again-- and the life you had with the security company and working with Serizawa...’s firm,” Aoto was irritated by the tears that threatened to fall again. Why was this hurting her so much?

“You didn’t even say goodbye. You just called once. Didn’t I matter at...Didn’t I matter at all?” She sniffed, then turned her quickly flushing face away from his. She hadn’t forgotten how it felt to be nestled in Enomoto’s arms. It hurt to think she didn’t matter to him.

A hand on her shoulder had Aoto’s entire body stiffening. “You matter,” whispered Enomoto, “It did not occur to me that I would matter to you.”

“Oh, Enomoto. You idiot,” Aoto choked out, tears starting to spill whether she liked it or not. At least she understood what he was doing here now, and really, the crime itself didn’t matter to her. She wasn’t going to let him do it, one way or the other. So it was irrelevant.

“Aoto-san,” Enomoto moved slightly closer to her, more subconsciously than intentionally, “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t matter to you nearly the way you’ve grown to matter to me,” she responded, voice broken yet slightly biting, “So I cannot explain why I’m crying. I just am.”

“You do not think I value you, Aoto-san?” Enomoto’s voice was incredulous.


	4. Revelations

Enomoto very rarely allowed his emotions to show through the shell he had come to shelter himself in, but her tears and that accusation that he didn’t care, plus the fact that she was threatening to fall apart in front of him, had Enomoto’s composure wearing very thin. Out of its own accord, his hand was resting on her shoulder. Now he wanted to take his hand, dip it lower, and slide it around her rib cage to her front so he could pull her back against him.

But that isn’t how he would behave. That isn’t what she would want from him. Is it? She wanted an explanation. No. She wanted a better man-- a “good” man. He wasn’t that. He’d never been that. Not to anyone. 

As always, while he was thinking about how to express his feelings, Aoto was acting. She abruptly turned into him, anger sparking in her eyes.

“Satou Manabu-san” she fairly hissed, “I’m tired of feeling stupid while I’m being held here. Do you realize how they treated me last night? How they went about their ‘questioning’? I don’t even regret it now. Because I thought it was for you. Somehow, I’d found you. That kept my mouth shut. That’s what you mean to me. This,” Aoto pointed to a bruise along her jawline, “ this is how I feel about you. I’ve given all that I can, Enomoto-san. Your name is irrelevant. Your actions are not. How are we going to act now? If you ‘value’ me, now might be a good time to decide.”

She wasn’t just angry, she was hurt and well on her way to being pissed. Enomoto had seemed so harmless before. So easy to understand. He definitely was not anymore. It wasn’t often someone got her riled up. She was almost never an angry person, but now he had this ugly background. One that Serizawa had proposed, but now Enomoto had confirmed it. That confirmation bit into her, like a vice on her already strangling impression of him. She couldn’t escape it, and she’d just wanted this man to be good. To be honest. She didn’t want all of this ugliness surrounding the one man she wanted to let close to her. Her skin was itching for his closeness even now. Ever since she’d felt what it was like to be held by him, it had become a burning desire for her to have it again. More, even. She wanted to feel her bare skin against his.

But that wasn’t so easy. Now it was complicated. Or was it? Who was she dictate how her ‘friend’ behaved? She was just a lawyer, wielder of the law, and he was somehow a person whose name could get her slapped across the head by a complete stranger. That wasn’t so awful was it? Even the sarcasm racing through her mind was a bitter reminder for Aoto that their relationship was drastically changing. If one of them didn’t act to rectify it quickly, if they couldn’t find resolve, Aoto did not know how she would feel about this awkward man the following morning. If she had another morning.

“Aoto,” Enomoto’s voice was tinged in emotion he was fighting not to let through, “Every point of this plot was not meant to involve you. This was intended to be separate from the... the friendship we had. Now it is not. It. is. unfortunate.”

Enomoto enunciated the last three words slowly, his free hand clenching into a fist at his side, and Aoto’s anger started to slip as she saw his struggle. “I cannot bear that they hurt you,” he whispered, so close to her, “I didn’t want you to know what I am. But it is who I am.”

His hand fell from her shoulder, and Aoto grabbed at both of his hands quickly. Her brown eyes were wide and searched his, and before he could pull away, she pulled him towards her, “Is this really all that you are? I can’t believe that. I still... I still want to believe that you’re better than this. There are other ways to keep Shiina safe. Please, Enomoto.”

Aoto still wanted to think he was a good man, and Enomoto’s eyes flashed slightly in surprise. She was the first person to ever do so. To think of him as not just another nameless face, not just a useful tool, and not as a freak-- but as a good man. Aoto-san had met him and immediately trusted him. She hadn’t been completely put off that day he’d explained the disks within the vault that she’d locked Serizawa in the first time they’d all met. She had simply accepted him. It was a good memory, Enomoto had decided weeks ago when he’d left them behind. All of their time together was a good memory. He’d thought that was all he and Aoto-san could ever share. Those memories, and nothing more.

Somehow, he’d been wrong.

But this world, it did not coincide with his world in which Aoto-san had previously existed. The life of Satou Manabu did not mesh with Enomoto Kei, the security technician. He had been hikikomori, and he’d clawed his way out of that self-consumed vacuum. It had been anything but easy, and he was still struggling to overcome his social shortcomings. The intricate planning and maneuvering that went into his departure from Nishimura the first time had been one of his greatest achievements-- at least in Enomoto’s mind. Now that was gone too. Even if he hadn’t agreed to come back on Shiina’s behalf, they would have been alerted of his existence.

The wetness on his own cheeks came as a surprise to him, and Enomoto wiped slow and cautious fingers over his face before marvelling at the fact that he was crying. He hadn’t cried in years. He didn’t even have a memory of what crying felt like. Although this... this hurt.

While he was staring at his fingertips, Aoto also noticed the silent tears running down his cheeks, and it flipped a switch in her head. They’re in this little room on a huge ship, upsetting each other, when they should be trying to think of a way to get out of there. Not that Aoto didn’t think this was a conversation they needed to have. They did. Otherwise the questions would have distracted her until they were answered. And she was, at least, glad to hear them from Enomoto himself rather than someone else. 

“Do you feel guilty about the people you’re supposed to be stealing from?” she murmured, wrapping her arm around his bicep and pulling it close. She was officially done trying to stop herself from touching him. 

“No.” Enomoto responded a little too quickly, causing Aoto to make a slight sound of surprise before asking why not. 

“Well,” he continued thoughtfully, “I do not know where the necklace and bracelet originated, but there was a period of time in which they belonged to Nishimura’s sister. They were a prized possession, but they were stolen a year or so after I joined. At the time, no one had known who had taken them, and it was not of any interest to me. Within the past six months, the newly wed heir of the Akanishi family has been, apparently, flaunting his young wife wearing the jewels-- and they are among the guests on this cruise. I believe you are familiar with the family?”

Aoto nodded, they were an old yakuza family, although it was thought they had mellowed out with the younger generations, “So you aren’t stealing from an unexpecting, law-abiding citizen. You’re stealing back a jewelry set from one corrupt family for another?”

Enomoto twisted his head, trying to look at her, as she now had his left arm pressed close to her chest. “Yes. That’s about right,” he just got the words out before her mouth was on his. Enomoto muttered a surprised, “Aoto?” but the word was muffled against her lips. 

She hadn’t intended to kiss him. It was completely unplanned, and unexpected. But the feeling that exploded within her heart with just the idea that he wasn’t actually involved in a completely abhorrent crime-- Aoto couldn’t restrain herself. The desire she’d been trying to repress for Enomoto burst forward, and her mouth had found his. His lips were soft and warm, the bottom enticingly plush. Aoto wanted to nip at it as she pressed closer.

Enomoto’s mind hadn’t had time to prepare for this sort of burning onslaught, and so he struggled with how to respond. Still, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been in this sort of situation before. He had, and he was fairly sure of where this was going. Wasn’t sure why it was going there, but he decided he’d question that later. Bringing his hands to rest on her hips, Enomoto licked his tongue, tentatively, against Aoto’s lips and relished when those lips parted. 

He shivered as she sighed into his mouth and he realized she tasted like his toothpaste. She’d showered using what he’d left in the bathroom. He wondered briefly how he tasted to her, but all intelligent thought escaped his mind as she wrapped one arm around his neck, bringing their bodies together so her breasts were pressed deliciously against his chest. Her other hand skimmed down over the front of his black shirt to slip beneath. There, her fingertips traced the lean muscle of his stomach, and he involuntarily sucked-in in response.

They continued like that, tongues brushing hot against each other, until Aoto rose her fingers up to his chest to tease a hardened nipple. Enomoto broke the kiss, stifling a moan, and tightened his grip on her hips before raising his hands up her ribcage then back to lean Aoto down on the bed.

Aoto laid back easily, and reached to pull him down to her. Even the momentary loss of his body against hers was irritating, and she murmured his name appreciatively when his weight settled over hers. 

Her lips immediately sought his but after briefly kissing, he moved his mouth to her bruised jawline, pressing precise, feather light kisses before moving to drop sharp, hot kisses against her neck, her pulse beating feverishly beneath the pale skin.

Then Enomoto pulled back to look down at Aoto, his brow furrowed, and Aoto realized he looked frustrated. “What is it?” she asked.

Color tinged his cheeks, but he responded, “Your shirt.”  
Aoto bit her lower lip. The day was definitely taking an interesting turn, but as she leaned up to capture his lips in a quick kiss before pulling her shirt over her head, Aoto decided, regardless of everything, they needed this. Enomoto gestured to her bra, “That, too.”

When she slipped that off, too, Enomoto visibly swallowed. His eyes were hot and fairly intense as they absorbed her naked upper body, and his gaze sent delicious shivers that peaked her nipples before pooling below her navel. He stared maybe a few moments longer before lightly touching her breasts, his long fingers skimming over the already painfully tightened buds. Although Enomoto had trouble conveying his feelings for Aoto in words and general social interaction, he was able to do it here. The caresses against her warm flesh were so careful in their exploration, so considerate of her every response. When he leaned forward to flick his tongue against her nipple, Aoto arched up, gasping. The corners of Enomoto’s mouth turned up slightly before he took it completely into his mouth, laving the sensitive flesh while he brought up his other hand to roll and pinch her other nipple.

Aoto soon lost patience with the slow, deliciously methodic torment and started pulling his shirt up his back until he silently took it off. He would have resumed his ministrations, looking to extend his exploration to her ribs and stomach, but Aoto couldn’t wait any longer. The emotional distress from moments ago had her growing more desperate for a fast, hard release than anything slow and sweet. 

She could feel him hard against her inner thigh, and she reached a hand down to cup him. Aoto was rewarded with a strangled moan that came out something like a sigh. “Now, Enomoto. Please.”

Enomoto nodded and started undoing his fly as he pushed himself off the bed and went to retrieve a small, metallic packet from his travel case. Aoto registered a moment of surprise that he brought condoms with him on this “trip,” but mentally shrugged and slid off her torn cotton pants. When they were both naked, she wasted no time wrapping her arms around him and pulling him down into place. 

Her entire body sang. Finally they were skin to skin. She kissed him hard, possessively and felt him trying to keep pace. Not that Aoto had all that much experience, but she seemed more adept to this sort of physical onslaught than he was. When they broke apart, his lips were red and swollen, especially the lower, and his dark eyes were wide. He hadn’t expected that, and this sort of aggression wasn’t necessarily typical of Aoto, but her life hadn’t exactly been all that typical lately. And she wanted him to be her Enomoto-san again.

“Now?” he asked, voice low and slightly unsteady.

“Please,” she repeated, and his fingers dove down to find her entrance, dancing over the sensitive flesh. Once he did, he thrust his length expertly inside, his now slick fingertips moving to her sensitive nub.

Aoto gasped loudly. The fit was perfect. Immaculate. He was so hot and Aoto couldn’t help but raise her hips to meet him as he stretched and filled her. Enomoto’s breathing grew strained, and it wasn’t long before they were moving at a feverish speed. Aoto felt herself approaching the edge and dug her nails into his back as her hips slightly stiffened. Enomoto, recognizing how close she was, quickened his thrusts, snapping his hips hard before he felt the spasms envelope him inside and heard her cry out a word that sounded very much like “Kei,” sparking him to join in her release.

They lied there, intertwined on the small bed, not speaking, just breathing in each other’s comfort until Enomoto raised his head to check the time on the clock. He made a small sound in his throat and detangled his limbs from Aoto. She looked at him curiously, and as he bent over to gather his clothes, Enomoto told her, “I have to go meet with someone. Please stay here.”

“Who are you going to meet?” Aoto asked, pulling up the sheet to cover herself as she sat up. 

Enomoto paused before answering, “I’m not sure. Do not come looking for me. I’ll be back before dark.”

“Because of the heist tonight?”

“Because I’ll come back for you” he replied, and very quickly, he was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Enomoto walked swiftly to the hallway, eyes immediately finding the man in the hoodie standing in the shadow of a doorway. He approached the man, but still stood a fair distance from him. He’d prefer to talk to him in the light, and where he could see the man’s face. 

Just as he had predicted, the man stepped from the shadows to speak to him. He was young. Enomoto realized when he saw the stranger’s face, younger than he was and taller too. Thin though, probably all lean muscle. Enomoto didn’t want to fight him, and so he hoped this conversation didn’t go down that route.

“You are not working for Nishimura, nor are you working for Akanishi, “ Enomoto said simply, clearing the air.

The younger man’s eyes flickered, but he just cocked a small smile, “Alright. Let’s say I’m not. The question is, whose side are you on, Satou-san? Or is it Enomoto?”

He ignored the question about his name and replied, “I am not. This operation is not what it originally seemed.”

“Are you referring to Aoto Junko? Are you not going to go through with the robbery now, because of her?” The man ran a pale hand through dark hair, pushing the hood from his head.

“My private life was compromised, yes,” Enomoto replied, “But that is not the only reason. There’s something else going on here. Tell me, are you here to stop them?”

The other man paused, seemingly to think over his answer, but Enomoto was given the impression that he was actually listening to something-- or someone. He must be wired, Enomoto deduced, and then swept his gaze around the hallway until he realized where another person was hiding. There was an air duct vent almost directly above the younger man’s head, and there was definitely someone up there. A man, Enomoto believed. Also fairly young. Nearly undetectable, except that Enomoto caught the briefest glimpse of a face illuminated barely a second by a handheld device.

These men underestimated him, Enomoto acknowledged but did not care. The man in the hooded sweatshirt cleared his throat, bringing Enomoto’s attention back to him.

“My original purpose was just to observe, but you’re right. There’s something else going on here. You are apparently very good at opening locks, including those locked-room murders, so maybe you can help figure out what is going on,” the man said, earnestly. Enomoto was a good judge of character-- it was nearly impossible to lie to him without his realizing it, and Enomoto trusted this man. 

“There are many factors here that do not add up. For starters, this supposed to be a simple jewelery heist. Yes, they are worth 80 million yen, but still. Such an operation should involve minimal group members, but there are a fairly significant number of them here. Secondly, the safe that the jewels are reported to be kept in is not so advanced that it requires someone of my skill level to open it. A thief half as familiar with opening locks could accomplish it. Easily. And yet..,” Enomoto broke off his sentence to rub his fingers next to his temple as he thought carefully over the situation.

“There’s something else rather disturbing you should know,” the younger man said, stepping closer, “I’m working undercover as a low-level thug, and yesterday, a hazmat crate was discovered with the Nishimura group’s cargo.”

“Then they must have something dangerous. It’s pertinent we figure out what and quickly,” Enomoto replied, flatly.

“Um, yeah.. My cover is definitely expendable, so let’s put a stop to it before it gets to a hazmat level, “ the man turned, beckoning Enomoto to follow, “Come on, I’ll show you what we’ve come up with.”

Enomoto didn’t miss the we, and started to follow the other man’s lead.   
“What is your name?” Enomoto asked, as he came up behind him.

“Um...,” the other man didn’t respond immediately, then answered, “I’m Tokita. Tokita Shuntaro.”


	5. The Crime is Not What is Seems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By the end of this chapter, all characters will be present and ready to help Enomoto and Aoto piece together what dangers are locked away at sea with them... and how to stop them.

Enomoto had been gone maybe half-an-hour to 45 minutes when Aoto heard the knob on the door jostle slightly before it began to turn. She’d just finished washing up, but was willing to have another go at Enomoto if he was back already. 

At the very last moment, she quickly pulled the bathroom door closed, thinking that if this wasn’t Enomoto she could tell whoever it was that he was using the toilet. The door paused, halfway cracked, for a moment, and then a sleek figure slipped inside. The fluid-like movement frightened Aoto a little, but then she gasped as she recognized the man before her.

“Kageyama-san! How did you find me!?” she asked, trying to keep her excited voice low. He was wearing the same cruise uniform that the others were wearing, and it was strange to see him outside of his butler suit.

“I’m rather adept at infiltrating suspicious areas undetected, and I’m even better at eavesdropping. I was able to ascertain your location by listening to some of the less-than admirable members of the crew,” Kageyama replied, bowing slightly, but then his eyebrows furrowed.

“Aoto-sama,” his voice was concerned, “Are you alright? You’re all bruised... Where is Enomoto Kei?”

“I’m fine, Kageyama, thank you. Enomoto went to meet with someone. I don’t know who.”

“Hmm,” Kageyama nodded, “How much do you know about what’s going on here?”

“Not very much,” Aoto admitted, “Just that Enomoto is needed to steal a jewelry set worth 80 million yen tonight. I guess they’ve predicted a period of time in which the Akanishis will be out of their room and the wife won’t be wearing them... but I don’t know. People assume I know more than I do.”

“There’s a catered ‘water sport’ event being held on the large pool deck tonight. Perhaps they’re counting on the Akanishi couple to attend that... If a simple jewelery heist is the extent of what’s going on here, and I do not believe it is.”

“What do you mean?” Aoto asked, wondering if her small moment of trust in Enomoto was already being broken.

Kageyama looked as if he was about to answer her when they heard voices pass in the hallway outside the door, “I’ll tell you what I’ve deduced later. Right now, we need to go.”

Kageyama took her hand and started pulling her towards the door, but Aoto dug her heels in. “Wait, Enomoto said he’ll come back for me. He told me to stay here,” she told him.

“Aoto-san,” Kageyama said in that almost-scolding tone he liked so much (and generally reserved for his mistress), “If Enomoto Kei cares about you at all, he’ll want you safe. Also, if he’s on ‘our side,’ the less he has to worry about, the better. Don’t you agree?”

“...But what if he tries to look for me? What if he’s distracted by the fact that he doesn’t know where I’ve gone?”

“Leave him a sign, then-- But hurry!” Kageyama’s voice was calm, but he let go of Aoto’s hand to press an ear to the door, “There’s no one out there now, so it would be best to leave immediately. The sun is already beginning to set, and I do believe things are going to pick up once the night settles in.”

Aoto quickly looked around, wondering what she could possibly leave for Enomoto to let him know she was okay. Her eyes lit on his small bag and she knelt beside it. Rummaging through it quickly, Aoto smiled when she found what she was looking for.

As she’d hoped (and really expected), he’d brought a padlock with him-- probably just in case he’d found himself with some downtime. It was already open, thankfully, because Aoto didn’t think she’d be able to pick it herself. There was also a permanent marker in the bag, so Aoto popped off the lid and wrote “safe” on the bottom bit of the padlock that would click into the lock to close it. 

Aoto was confident that no one would be able to open that lock but Enomoto, so she placed the locked padlock on top of the blanket on the small bed they shared. Aoto nodded to Kageyama as she stepped up beside him. Even though she didn’t like the niggling feeling that said she was leaving Enomoto behind, she was ready to go.

Hopefully, she could at least be of some help if she escaped. . . and she was, admittedly, nothing more than a hindrance to Enomoto down in that room. She just hoped she would see him again soon. If Kageyama was right, Enomoto was in more danger than she’d thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enomoto quietly studied Tokita Shuntaro as the younger man lead him down a corridor.. He was walking quickly, alert to their surroundings while still maintaining smalltalk, and Enomoto mentally categorized him as a man of barely-contained energy and, more than that, a socially gifted creature. He was very good at using his words to garner trust. . . Enomoto envied that ability, but didn’t focus on it.   
“Okay, in here, “ Tokita opened the door to basic cabin with two small beds, “I should probably let you know that everything we say is being recorded, and I am not working here alone.”

“The man from the airduct.” Enomoto supplied, surveying the small room.

“Aw, Nitta! You were seen by this guy, “ instead of being angry, Shuntaro’s voice was amused as he addressed the absent Nitta, then he looked back at the man standing beside him, “Way to go Enomoto!” 

The younger man flashed a smile at Enomoto, making the smaller man shuffle a little uncomfortably as he nodded once. Tokita Shuntaro was the exact opposite of Enomoto, and he turned and looked at the cabin door behind them as it began to open. A wiry man wearing the utility jumpsuit of a maintenance worker stepped inside. His dark hair stuck out everywhere, and he didn’t bother smiling or introducing himself to Enomoto. Instead, he folded his arms in front of himself and studied the former security technician as Enomoto levelly met his gaze.

“He’s just irritated that you knew he was up there,” Tokita said, still amused, “But let’s forget that. Now we should start sharing what we know and what we’re going to do about it.”

Enomoto remembered himself, remembered his strengths and how he’d chosen to present himself in front of others, and decided to start the conversation with a question of his own.

“The hazmat gear you mentioned,” Enomoto looked thoughtful, “You said there was just one crate?”

“Just one,” Nitta answered, “And it was obvious we weren’t supposed to handle it. We’d barely seen it before we were redirected from it and told to make our rounds. Again.”

“What is it you are securing that you make rounds?” Enomoto asked.

“That’s the thing,” supplied Shuntaro, “The focus of this entire production seems to be the contents of the safe in the Akanishi’s cabin. Our rounds basically seem to ensure that no one from the upper decks infiltrates or area.”

Enomoto didn’t reply, just “hmm-ed” a little, so Tokita Shuntaro continued, “And for reasons we cannot quite understand, we’ve also secured the central air and patched into the computer systems of this ship. From there they had the guest ledger and crew lists altered, as well as scheduled that the helipad be lit and functional at 10 p.m. tonight for a helicopter to pick up Nishimura plus seven others.”

“Tonight?” Enomoto perked up a bit, and Nitta raised his eyebrows at the unexpected reaction. Enomoto had caught him in the air duct just a little while ago, but Nitta was confident Enomoto hadn’t sensed him trailing the man earlier that week as the ship left port and made it’s way out to open sea. Nitta had watched Enomoto’s every move outside of his cabin, and was the one who placed the bug under the awkward man’s side table. So seeing the Enomoto show any emotion, even the slightest hint of surprise, told Nitta that something wasn’t good.

“I am not scheduled to infiltrate the Akanishi cabin and steal the jewelry until 11. After that, I am supposed to pass the jewels to Nishimura at midnight... except he isn’t going to be there.”

“He isn’t going to be on the ship,” added Shuntaro, his upper lip curling slightly-- an action that further accentuated the delicate moles dotted there and below his lower lip.

Enomoto’s brows furrowed, and he slowly raised his fingertips to shift methodically beside his temple as he concentrated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh Junko, you cannot imagine how scared I was for you. It was like you disappeared out of thin air,” Reiko hugged Aoto again. Kageyama had safely brought her back to the upper decks, in a whirlwind of butler magic, and to the cabin that she and Reiko had shared previously, and then abruptly changed into a different uniform-- this time a fancier ensemble more suitable to a butler-- in the bathroom before rushing out the door again. 

When they’d first decided to go on the cruise together, Reiko had demanded she and Junko share a cabin so they could stay up late together and relive some old memories from college. The lovely heiress-slash-detective had truly believed they could investigate the jewelry heist and still enjoy the cruise. Unfortunately, that hadn’t exactly panned out. 

It wasn’t long after Kageyama had left that Aoto realized he must have moved from the cabin he’d occupied next to theirs into this one. His single piece of luggage now sat at the foot of what had been her bed, which was now impeccably made with a jet-black, silk pillow placed neatly at the head. 

“I bought him that pillowcase,” Reiko said as she followed Aoto’s line of vision, “Well, actually the whole bedding set, but he only brought his pillow.”

“You bought your butler black silk sheets?” Aoto raised her eyebrow.

“They suit him,” Reiko replied, then changed the subject, “Now, tell me everything that’s happened.”

Aoto sighed, slumping down to sit on the bed before relaying the previous 48 hours (while leaving out the more intimate moments between herself and Enomoto) to her friend. Reiko listened carefully, pursing her lips whenever she didn’t liked what she heard. Aoto, or Ko-chan as Reiko liked to call her, had just told her how her heart nearly stopped when Kageyama had slipped into Enomoto’s cabin before she recognized him, when the butler came bursting through the door, causing both women to jump.  
Kageyama was about as flustered as Aoto had ever seen him, and her jaw dropped as she took in his appearance. His glasses were gone, and his bowtie, which had been so precisely tied before, was now hanging loose around his neck, the upper buttons of his shirt undone-- no, not just undone. The top button was missing completely.

Even more shocking was the lipstick. Bright coral smudges were printed on the starched white shirt collar-- and they didn’t stop there. The smudges continued in a slant on his neck, along his jawline, and possibly the whole way to his left ear. Even his perfectly combed hair was mussed.

“Kage...Kageyama!” Reiko’s voice was sharp, angry. The heiress was not pleased, and she stood to glare at him.

“My lady, please understand,” the butler drew his glasses from an inside jacket pocket, “I was attacked.”

“Attacked?” Reiko huffed, hands on her hips.

“Yes. I was serving wine to Akanishi-sama, hoping she’d reveal something or that I’d overhear her husband discussing something important,” Kageyama explained as he turned to a bureau and retrieved a cruise maintenance uniform, “And apparently, the lady had already been drinking quite a bit today, and quickly grew rather attached to me.”

“I can see that,” Reiko muttered, and Aoto didn’t miss the pout on her friend’s lips.

“Yes, well, she actually asked her husband, and if I may quote her, ‘Can’t I bring him along on the helicopter tonight, honey? Such a pretty face, I don’t want to leave him on this boat to die with the rest of them.’ “ 

“What?!” Aoto and Reiko exclaimed simultaneously.

“Exactly,” Kageyama continued talking from the washroom as he changed again, “So I really cannot stress how important it is that I find Enomoto-san and stop him from opening that safe. Akanishi-sama wasn’t exactly speaking clearly as she tried to devour my neck--”

“In kisses,” Reiko added.

“In kisses,” her butler rectified as he returned from the washroom, “but she spoke of the helicopter arriving to take herself, her husband, Nishimura and five of his men away before the safe was opened and everybody died. The lady was quite gracious when she added that Nishimura could easily only take four men so she could take me as well.”

“Such a nice woman,” Reiko replied sarcastically, “And what did her husband have to say to all of this?”  
Kageyama already had his hand on the door handle to leave again, but he answered, “The man didn’t hear her, or see her, luckily for myself. Akanishi had taken a phone call in the side room. His poor wife just didn’t seem to realize that.”

“So we’re going to find Enomoto now, quickly, and stop him from opening that safe? Correct, Kageyama?” Aoto spoke up.

“I’d much prefer if you both stay here and wait for me to return with him,” Kageyama told her. 

“Kageyama, I am an inspector. If all the innocent lives on this ship are in danger, I have to act immediately,” Reiko stated, slipping on her shoes.

“This isn’t a secure crime scene, my lady,” Kageyama said quickly, “and it would be three times as difficult to slip in and out of the lower decks. Both of you would draw too much attention.

“But... I can’t just do nothing,” Aoto said, slightly panicky.

“Neither can I,” Reiko added.

Kageyama had the door partially open, and was obviously in a rush to leave, but pressed his lips together as he tried to think of a way his lady and her friend could safely help. 

“Hmm, my lady, perhaps you two cou--!” his sentence was cut off when something brushed against his leg, causing him to look down immediately. 

“Ah!” he bent over and picked up what was now at his feet, “You two can take care of this cat.”

With that, he pushed a calico cat into his lady’s arms then turned on his heel and sped out the door.

“Wha...?” Aoto was slightly confused by what had just happened, and Reiko just looked angry. She didn’t like it when her butler found the means to get his own way instead of bowing to her’s. Although, when Reiko looked down at the kitty in her arms, she couldn’t help but smile a little. It’s large yellow eyes were staring expectedly into her’s.

“Well, you do look sweet,” Reiko muttered as she stroked the cat, “And you don’t seem to hate me.”

Both women were petting the little cat while trying to think of ways to help when they were surprised by a knocking at their cabin door. It wasn’t exactly a polite knock, and Aoto was a little cautious as she took the cat and stepped to hide in the bathroom as Reiko answered the door.

Reiko opened the door cautiously to see a rather distressed looking man in a fashionably-questionable plaid suit and a young man, probably in his early twenties, standing before her. The older of the pair spoke up first, “Have you seen a cat?”

“A cat?” Reiko repeated, prompting the younger man to add, “There are lives at stake here, and we haven’t a lot of time, and this man, he’s a detective, is adamant that we find his cat before we do anything else. So, please, have you seen it?”

“Shh... You didn’t have to tell her all that!” the older man scolded his comrade.

“No,” Reiko used her best authoritative voice, “He did. Come in.”

Neither of the men took a step forward, looking at each other cautiously, until Reiko added, “I have your cat.” Then the older man practically leapt into the room and the younger followed. 

Reiko reached into her purse to retrieve her badge, explaining her position and asking to see the older man’s verification, and he nodded while asking for his cat again as he reached into his jacket pocket for his own badge.

Once Reiko saw the badge, she called Junko from the bathroom with the kitty, which the man immediately took from her as the younger man rolled his eyes. Aoto noticed the younger man was slight, but handsome in a rather pretty way with intelligent eyes.

“Now,” Reiko addressed the young man and he snapped his head to look at her, causing Aoto to also notice the mole dotting his chin, “Explain what you meant about lives being at stake here.”


	6. Opening the Safe

Nishimura sat comfortably in a wingback chair in his cabin, looking cool and confident, as if it was just another day at the office-- which, even in his line of work, it wasn’t. His “right hand man,” Tatsuda Shinji, was clearly not as at ease. Agitated, Tatsuda glanced at his wristwatch and swallowed a little awkwardly as he waited for his boss to speak.

 

“Your role tonight is essential to the success of this operation,” Nishimura told him, “No example, no sale. No retrieval, no sale. And we want this sale, don’t we Tatsuda?” The other man nodded, but still looked uncertain. He definitely wasn’t relishing what he had in store for the evening.

 

“It’s simple,” Nishimura continued to repeat the plan Tatsuda had been replaying in his head the entire day, “After the helicopter leaves, or since Satou is always prompt, after 11 p.m., just put on the suit and wait for the curtain to fall, so to speak. Once everyone is dead, get the blood sample. Then, we’ll send Ryohei by in his little speeder to pick you up around 3 a.m. Just like we planned. Keep the suit on and you’ll be fine.”

 

He’d been telling himself that all day, too. “Keep the suit on, and you’ll be fine.” Part of him wanted to put that suit on right that very minute and not take it off until he was off the damn ship, but that would probably tip a few people off that something was wrong, and they couldn’t have that. . .But Tatsuda had said from the beginning that he wasn’t keen on staying on the ship when that bioweapon concoction was released. Bash a few heads, shoot a man-- sure. No problem. Draw blood from a body that just convulsed to death alongside hundreds of vacationers? Not so much.

 

Even buying out the scientist professor guy and killing the other was fine, but this biochemical weaponry stuff made him uncomfortable. He didn’t like it, and while he’d never admit it out loud, he almost felt like it was out of their league.

 

“Oh, I know. You’ll like this,” Nishimura chuckled, cutting into Tatsuda’s thoughts, “Why don’t you collect the blood sample from Satou’s corpse? He’ll be all mangled, limbs still contorted from the pain he died in... just think about it. You’ve always hated him.”

 

Tatsuda almost smiled at the thought. He had always loathed that cocky little shit. More than once, he’d wanted to put a bullet through the man’s expressionless face. A sick part of Tatsuda even entertained the idea of watching Satou writhe as the toxic crap killed him.. Bet that face would show some expression then. Fear on any man’s face had always been one of his favorites, and he expected he’d enjoy it so much more on Satou’s.

 

“I could do that,” Tatsuda replied softly, eyes almost amused, “Then I’ll toss him off the side.”

 

~~~~

Satou, or as he now thought of himself, Enomoto was thinking about Aoto-san. Even as Tokita Shuntaro was explaining how he thought they should approach the Akanishi cabin without being seen while tapping away at a cell phone in the last of several futile attempts to reach two women Enomoto didn’t know the names of, but were members of the Lucky 7 agency-- and Enomoto was paying attention. He really was, but he was also thinking about Aoto. It was strange, and a little disconcerting for him, since he’d abandoned the idea of forming real connections with people, let alone growing seriously attached. But the niggling sort of itch that kept replaying the sound of her voice saying his name, or the way she smelled like his soap the previous night, just wouldn’t stop. If anything, it got worse as his time away from her increased. 

 

Enomoto wasn’t sure what to think of this... feeling, but he was pretty sure he didn’t like the new fear that accompanied it. Just as his chest warmed at the thought of her, he was reminded that she was in danger, and he found himself more concerned for another human being than he could remember ever being before. 

 

The distraction wasn’t helpful. Enomoto tried harder to concentrate on the duo before him, noting that the possibility of their breaking into a full-fledged fight was increasing. Nitta didn’t like Shuntaro’s plan to wait until the Akanishi ‘s left their cabin, or his Plan B that involved Shuntaro distracting (charming) the wife while Nitta kept watch and Enomoto cracked the safe. Nitta really wasn’t so sure Enomoto should open the damn thing at all, and perhaps their plan should be concentrating on how to keep the safe locked.

 

“Did any of the bugs we placed pick up any worthwhile information?” Shuntaro asked. Both he and Enomoto quickly nixed Nitta’s opinion, agreeing that it would be best to get whatever it was in the safe out of Nishimura’s and Akanishi’s hands, and therefore, out of the safe (because while Shuntaro knew he pretty physically fit, he wasn’t about to carry a safe anywhere and neither was Niita or Enomoto).

 

“Maybe,” Nitta responded, “But we don’t exactly have time to sit and listen through all of them now.”

 

It seemed obvious to Enomoto that while the two men before him were intelligent, they both thrived on action and it wasn’t sitting well with either that they didn’t have enough information to formulate a plan, and all the while, time was running out. Enomoto knew he was proficient at filling in the gaps to solve crimes or unravel puzzles, but he needed to know more about the contents of the safe. 

 

Suddenly Enomoto’s eyes slid toward the door. Pursing his lips, he waited another moment for a pause in the dialogue shooting back and forth between Shuntaro and Nitta before he said levelly, “We’re not alone.”

 

“What?” both men responded simultaneously. Aoto would have found that cute, probably, thought Enomoto and immediately banished it from his head. It was so unlike him to not be able to focus...

 

“We’re not alone,” he repeated, then walked to the door. When he opened it, there appeared to be no one there, and Shuntaro’s mouth quirked because he figured that even Enomoto was starting to crack under the stress and imagine things, but then, and Shuntaro would kid you not, a man climbed smoothly out of one of the decorative pots the cruise line had placed sporadically around the ship.

 

Shuntaro really hadn’t thought it was big enough for a man to fit in, and this newcomer wasn’t uncommonly thin or slight. Enomoto was wondering the same, studying the man pensively as he stood before them, but Nitta couldn’t have cared less about the physically impossible feat they’d just witnessed and stepped forward, ready to render the man unconscious if necessary because they really didn’t have time to deal with someone spying on them.

 

Luckily for himself, Kageyama took this as a good moment to introduce himself, “Ah, I’m sorry to intrude but my employer is close friends with someone very close to Enomoto-san, and I’ve come to share some information with him.”

 

“Aoto-san?” Enomoto spoke almost without thinking, and his flat voice betrayed a hint of concern.

 

“She’s fine, for the moment. I left her with my employer,” Kageyama reassured him, and would have been amused by the brief glimpse of relief that passed over Enomoto’s face if it weren’t for the impending doom they were all facing.

 

Most importantly at risk being his Ojisama. Of course he wanted to save everyone, but it was his duty to protect her. . . and there was the pounding in his chest that Kageyama knew would not cease until he could be sure that not a hair on her pretty head would be harmed.

 

And so, after the ever-efficient butler quickly summarized his encounter with Akanishi-sama and what he’d picked up around the deck, it was agreed that they must have the content of the safe in their possession before the helicopter arrived at 10 p.m., and it was preferable that they’d also have outside authorities contacted, but that was hopeful thinking at that point as time was running out.

 

Kageyama had overheard pieces of a message to Tatsuda, Nishimura’s right-hand thug, commanding him to open the safe if, for some reason, Enomoto didn’t. It seemed that someone had noticed Enomoto’s cabin was empty, and a backup plan was construed.

 

“So they’re looking for us,” Enomoto said quietly, although what Kageyama and Shuntaro clearly heard was: “They’re looking for Aoto.”

 

“They’re mostly looking for you,” Kageyama assured, “and she is safe in an upper deck cabin with two police detectives.”

 

“Armed?” Enomoto asked bluntly, but Kageyama shook his head, “No, but she’s safe. They’re trained--”

 

“I’m sorry,” Nitta interjected, rubbing his temple, “But just how many detectives are on this ship?”

 

“Well, including your agency--” Kageyama started to answer, but Nitta cut him off again.

 

“Nevermind. Let’s just do this.”

 

Once all of their energy was focused on formulating a plan, armed with the information Kageyama provided, they were prepared to act rather quickly. Turns out that Nitta and Kageyama shared similar traits when it came to investigative work and action, and that was an impressive strength that built upon Shuntaro’s disarming cleverness and Enomoto’s problem solving prowess. 

 

As the clock in the ship’s formal dining hall rang 9 p.m., the four were on their way to the Akanishi cabin. Closer to the four men than they realized, Aoto and Reiko were learning quite a bit of rather vital information from Katayama and Kagura. Kageyama had intentionally lead the anxious cop and solemn university student to the girls, having overheard them trying to enter the lower decks to talk to some professor the young student swore black and blue was down there. Katayama, on the other hand, had been mentioning his cat, saying that the cat didn’t seem to trust the crew sequestered off in that portion of the lower deck, which convinced him they shouldn’t just go barging in there. Kageyama found the whole cat-cop man a little odd, but still better than Kazamatsuri.

 

“So this compound, now a bio-weapon, is definitely lethal?” Reiko’s voice was as intense as it would ever be as she looked at Kagura.

 

“Yes,” Kagura enunciated his words slowly, “It’s going to kill you, and me. All of us. Just as soon as that Enomoto person opens the safe.”

 

“How quickly?”

 

“Depending on the air flow throughout the ship. . . Within minutes.”

 

“Oh shit,” Katayama wrenched his hands in his lap, trying desperately to think of a plan of his own. His cat was pacing the length of Kageyama’s bed, also clearly agitated, until Aoto picked it up and hugged it to her chest, which the kitty begrudgingly tolerated.

 

“How can we stop it?” she asked.

 

“You don’t. It’s an airborne pathogen.”

 

“Come now, you’re a scientist. Or you will be. You have to know something we can do,” Reiko snapped, frightened that Kageyama would be one of the first to die. 

 

“This is not my field,” Kagura retorted quickly, “I major in genetics. This is a project I was working on to fulfill requirements... I don’t know how to stop it... although, the compound is sensitive to cold temperatures. It’s freezing rate is higher than water, and remains a liquid longer before evaporating, which probably explains why this ship’s air conditioning seems awfully ineffective-- If we could freeze it immediately, we might be able to stop it from permeating the air!”

 

The young man’s voice rose at the end, and he stood up and looked around the room, “But what can we use...?”

 

“Ah!” Katayama leapt to his feet and strode across the cabin to open the door to the hall, “The fire extinguishers?” 

 

The detective extended his gangly arm to point at the glass case housing a large extinguisher in front of him, and Reiko clapped her hands lightly.

 

“Those will work, won’t they?” she asked Kagura, impressed by the detective’s quick thinking.

 

“They should, yes,” the student replied, then added thoughtfully, “If we spray the safe before he opens it, to bring the temperature down, and then spray again as soon as it opens... it will buy us some time to figure out a way to contain it. What time is it?”

 

“Nine,” Aoto answered, “We need to find Enomoto now. It will not take him long to open that safe.”

 

“Where is he now?” Kagura asked, “Do you think he’s already on his way to that cabin? He could be there already. What number is it?”

 

“I don’t know,” she looked over to Reiko so see if her friend did, but the woman shook her head.

 

“Well, we have to find them,” Aoto said anxiously, “Right now.”

 

“I suppose I could ask guest services--” Katayama started, but Kagura insisted there wasn’t time.

 

“Kageyama knows where it is,” Reiko said.

 

“Yes, but isn’t he with Enomoto? Can you reach him somehow? Your cell phones work?” the questions spilled from Katayama as he opened the case to get the extinguisher.

 

“No, but I’m going to get him. Just, stand back a moment,” the petite woman told them and joined Katayama in the hallway, “This might attract some attention, but it’s the fastest way for us to reach Enomoto.”

 

And then she screamed. As loudly as she could, pausing to suck in a breath before screaming again. Convinced that was enough, Reiko waited, silently, as the other three stared at her. A few guest doors opened as well, giving them funny looks, but they didn’t pay them any mind.

 

“You really think he hear--” Kagura started, but then he caught a black blur rushing towards them from the corner of his eye. 

 

“Yes,” Reiko replied affirmatively as her butler skidded to a halt beside her. 

 

“My lady. What happened? Are you hurt?,” Kageyama’s eyes scanned her entire body, and he reached to touch her but she put her hands up to stop him.

 

“Kageyama, take us to Enomoto.” Reiko wasn’t speaking to him as a companion, or as a detective, but as an heiress to her butler, and the man snapped to attention accordingly. He could not refuse a direct command. 

 

“This way,” he replied, then turned on his heel. They walked briskly, but Kageyama did slow just enough to listen to Reiko whisper in his ear that they had a discovered a way to, for a short time, contain the bioweapon.

 

“Well you sure ran off in a hurry,” Shuntaro greeted Kageyama, “Enomoto was just about to crack open the-- Who are all these people?”

 

They were all crowding into the Akanishi cabin, and Nitta poked his head around a corner before throwing up his hands as if to say, “What next?”

 

The Akanishi cabin was set up like a suite, and the safe was located in the closet in the bedroom. Armed with the fire extinguisher, Katayama followed Kageyama to where Enomoto was crouching in front of it, fingers prepped to turn the dial. His headphones were already in his ears, and Kageyama had to pop one out for the man to realize they were there.

 

Even though she was crowded in behind Kagura, Katayama, and Shuntaro; Enomoto’s eyes lit on her first, “Aoto-san. Why are you here?”

 

“We think we know how to stop the bioweapon from killing everyone, at least temporarily,” she said quickly, “So don’t open the safe yet.”

 

“Bioweapon,” he repeated, then sat back on his heels to wait for someone to explain, which Katayama did, brandishing the fire extinguisher in front of him as he spoke. Kagura added scientific comments now and again, but Katayama had gotten the gist of it.

 

“I’m going to go grab the extinguishers from this hall,” Shuntaro declared and started for the door, turning back briefly to mutter, “There’s a cat.”

 

Nitta looked and shrugged at the animal, nothing could surprise him anymore that night, and went to keep watch in the hall. Kagura told Katayama to go ahead and spray the safe some, at least around the edges of the door, even though Enomoto told him it wouldn’t make a difference if the outside of the safe was cold. Katayama was a little surprised by the force of the spray, but managed, and soon Enomoto was turning the dial.

 

And the room grew very, very quiet, so that the only sound heard was the small clicks as Enomoto worked. Shuntaro returned and stood beside Katayama to join in him pointing the nozzle at the safe door. Once Enomoto opened that little door, they’d be spraying. 

 

When it came to the last digit of the combination, Enomoto paused. Pressing his lips together, he withdrew his hands from the mechanism and removed an earbud.

 

“What is it?” whispered Shuntaro, extinguisher still at the ready.

 

“Aoto-san,” Enomoto said quietly, “I’d like you to step outside.”

 

“It really will not make a difference where she is on the ship if this fails--” started Kagura, but Enomoto shook his head.

 

“Please, Aoto-san.”

 

“Okay,” she replied and tried to give him a small smile before turning to leave the bedroom.

 

“Wait,” Enomoto said, his voice a hair louder, and she stopped. His eyes cast down at his hands, and he set them a little awkwardly on his lap before raising his face to look at her. He parted his lips to say something, but stopped, having looked like he wasn’t sure what the right words would be.

 

But Aoto understood and went to him. She took his hand in hers and smiled, feeling tears prickling. “I believe in you, Enomoto-san,” she whispered, “Nothing and no one can trap you.”

 

He let her go this time, swallowing hard as he watched her back walk out the door, and then he returned to the dial.

 

With one last click, the door swung open.

 

Half a dozen mouths were shut tight as Shuntaro and Katayama sprayed and sprayed and sprayed. Reiko’s hand found Kageyama’s sleeve and clutched tight, Nitta hugged himself hard, and Kagura waited long seconds before taking a shuddering breath so he could say, “That should be enough.”

 

And, somehow, it was. Sure enough, on the small floor of the safe was a crystallized substance, an outline barely visible through the blanket of cold CO2 and bicarbonate. There was a collective sigh of relief, but even that was short lived.

 

“So, it’s going to melt soon, right?” Katayama asked, and Nitta immediately replied that they’d just have to keep spraying it.

 

“But how long can we keep that up?” Reiko asked, then to her butler, “Maybe you should grab a few more extinguishers, Kageyama.”

 

“We need to get this out of the cabin ,” Enomoto stated, his voice level and returning to it’s normal assuredness.

 

“Without Tatsuda seeing us,” Kageyama added, then he looked at his watch, “Without any of them seeing us. It’s not even 10 yet. The helicopter hasn’t come yet.”

 

“Should we let them go? Or should we stop them? Nitta and I could stop them from boarding,” Shuntaro told him.

 

“Hmm...” Enomoto was thinking, “Can any of you pilot a helicopter?”

 

Shuntaro shot a look at Nitta, who responded with an incredulous, “No.” Katayama shook his head.

 

“I can,” Kageyama announced, smoothly, “It’s been a few years, but I’m sure I haven’t forgotten how.”

 

“What all can you do?” Shuntaro asked with good-hearted sarcasm, clearly impressed.

 

Kageyama opened his mouth to answer, but Reiko beat him to it. “Everything,” his lady replied, and she felt rather than saw her butler smile behind her. He’d probably insult her later, and she’d hate him for it, but for now, they were a team.

 

“Well,” Enomoto continued, “If we could get this off the ship, we’d guarantee that at least these lives would be saved.”

 

“And stop the culprits from leaving,” Shuntaro continued, quite set on making sure someone paid for almost killing an entire cruise ship of people.

 

“And get it back to my university’s labs where it could be destroyed,” Kagura added moodily. The boy was so done with biochemical warfare whatnot. His childhood had shaped his interest in science and genetics, but this was more than he’d bargained for. He’d contacted the police when he suspected foul play after his professor died, and expected them to handle it from there. He never expected the case would be dropped and that only Katayama would believe his suspicions concerning a compound they’d been working with disappearing. The slim student shot a glance at the police detective and smiled a little. For a scatter-brained cop who was awkwardly attached to a cat, he wasn’t half bad.

 

“We need to figure out a way to transport this,” Enomoto muttered, his slender finger reaching to poke the crystallized compound before Nitta whacked it away. “Don’t touch it. Jeez.”

 

“I have an idea,” called Aoto from the opposite room and Enomoto’s eyebrow’s perked.

 

“You said you’d leave,” he pouted slightly as she returned to his side.

 

“I did, I stepped out. But I was afraid that Tatsuda person might see me, so I stayed in the cabin. Anyway, I was thinking about the dinner Rei-chan and I had our first night on the ship.”

 

Enomoto just blinked at her.

 

“Yes, well, we had a dessert created using liquid nitrogen and I thought that perhaps--”

 

“You are a genius,” quipped Shuntaro, stepping forward and throwing his arm around Aoto, too pleased with her idea to care about personal space and proprietary (plus, he had a sense about women and knew she wouldn’t be the type to mind), “This is a pretty high-end cruise, there might even be a blast chiller in the kitchens too.”

 

Enomoto’s eyes narrowed at the way Shuntaro squeezed Aoto, but nodded his head. It was decided that they’d spray the engineered pathogen once more before moving out. Staying in the Akanishi cabin was a risk they needn’t be taking any longer than they had to. 

 

And the kitchens weren’t necessarily ideal (“People eat the food from there, you know,” Nitta scowled), but no one had a better idea, nor did they want the stuff in their cabins around their belongings they’d be taking off the ship with them (“I’m probably going to burn everything,” Reiko said, and Shuntaro complained that not everyone could afford that).

 

It was something of a blur to Aoto, how fast they moved from there. First, the frozen bioweapon was placed in an ice bucket Shuntaro had filled, then they started out. Kageyama lead the way, demanding liquid nitrogen as he breezed straight through the dining room to the main kitchen. The staff looked at him like he was crazy, Katayama pulled out his badge and gesticulated wildly as he spoke to the head chef, and Nitta just helped himself to a canister he saw a sou chef holding and brought it over to Enomoto. “Just put the whole thing in there,” he told him.

 

And so Enomoto did, and as soon as the lid was screwed into place, they raced to the helipad. There was a startled, “Satou?” heard from a man dressed as a crew member, and they knew it wouldn’t be long before thugs would be showing up-- but that was irrelevant now since they were running to face Nishimura and Akanishi anyway.

 

But Nishimura did look surprised when they approached, “Satou? What the hell are you doing here?”

 

“Leaving,” Enomoto replied.

 

“And these people are with you?” Nishimura looked at each of them, then growled at Aoto, “I should have killed you yesterday. Now you’ve gone and made this complicated.”

 

He still thought she’d known more than she did. Believing that she was at fault, he procured a handgun from inside his jacket and fired. 

 

Aoto only had time to squeeze her eyes shut, but even though she heard the shot, she didn’t feel anything. She opened her eyes and screamed. Enomoto stood for a moment, then dropped to the ground as blood bloomed on his chest. He’d been shot, and the canister slipped and rolled from his grasp as his hands clutched at the wound. Aoto knelt beside him, face pale as she muttered about applying pressure, and Nitta and Shuntaro surged forward. 

 

Aoto heard the fight that ensued, heard bodies collapse to the ground as Shuntaro spin-kicked goons unconscious, and felt the air-whip around them violently as the helicopter landed, but she didn’t take her eyes off of Enomoto. Kageyama and Reiko knelt with her, Reiko pulling her bloody hands away so Kageyama could bind fabric torn from his shirt around Enomoto’s shoulder. And then, somehow, they were climbing into the helicopter. In the background, just over the sound of the rotating blades, she could hear Akanishi screaming he didn’t want to die.

 

They still thought the bioweapon was in the safe, and Aoto looked and saw that Kagura had picked up the canister. She didn’t hear Nishimura yell for someone to stop Tatsuda, because by then, Nitta had slammed the doors closed and Kageyama was readying for takeoff. And all of her attention was back on Enomoto, whose hand was growing slack in her own. They were in the air just minutes before he lost consciousness completely.


	7. Unlocked

The sun was shining bright, pouring white light through a small window, and Aoto briefly watched the tiny particles of dust dance in the air over the blanket-covered legs and feet that laid motionless in the bed before her. She wished the sunlight stretched further up the bed.

 

Aoto had woken up that morning to dark shadows, gray machinery beeping and whirring, and the smell of antiseptic on skin that used to smell so simple and warm and clean... And she’d almost thrown up, the fear reawakening in a rush in the pit of her stomach.

 

Choking back bile, Aoto had looked around for some sort of comfort-- something to cut the dark, sterile space-- and saw the window. Quickly, she pulled up the blinds to let the sunshine in. It didn’t help much, but it was something. Fears are supposed to lessen when brought into the light-- and Aoto was very much afraid.

 

She was afraid that the still form laying in the bed was never going to wake. That those long lashes would never flutter open, and she’d never again meet those dark, discerning eyes.

He looked younger again, or maybe just more innocent, without his glasses on as he slept-- and in that moment, that’s how Enomoto appeared to Aoto. He looked like he was just sleeping, and that if she shook him, he’d awaken...

 

When the nurse had come in that morning, having noticed Aoto opened the blinds, she’d said, “Ah, so you’re up. I didn’t want to disturb you earlier, you needed your sleep after being up all night with him-- and the night before, too, if I’m getting the story straight.”

 

The woman spoke kindly, recognizing the vulnerability in the young woman before her; the questions that rose in Aoto’s eyes.

 

“No,” the nurse answered the unspoken query, “He didn’t wake while you slept, but his body went through a lot. It takes some time to recover from this sort of injury and blood loss, but it shouldn’t be too much longer now. Keep hope, I’m sure he wants to open those pretty eyes to see you.”

 

But hours passed, and Enomoto still didn’t move. Aoto read to him a bit (Katayama visited briefly around breakfast, and after he asked for the thousandth time if there was anything he could do, Aoto asked him to pick up a book on medieval locks from the bookstore, which he did in lightning time.) but mostly, she just talked to him. More information had come to light concerning their ordeal on the ship, and she relayed what she knew. Nishimura was arrested, as were most of the others involved, oh and Shuntaro had broken two fingers on Akanishi’s face, he’d punched the man so hard.

 

Apparently, Nishimura and Akanishi’s father had formed a coalition between their groups, despite previous differences, with the intention to sell dangerous biochemical weapons to foreign terrorists for unspeakable amounts of money. This transaction required an example of the weapon’s power be made first, thus the cruise ship, since it would be isolated-- essentially locked away from the rest of the world by the sea-- and the disease would lay dormant in the victims’ blood, which Tatsuda had been assigned to harvest. 

 

Aoto knew that if Enomoto was awake, he’d wonder why Tatsuda needed to collect a sample of the contaminated blood at all, so she told him. The scientist that Nishimura and Akanishi killed, the one who was a professor of Kagura’s, had been a partner of the scientist they’d kept alive, but unfortunately for them, he’d held several secrets to re-creating the compound that his surviving partner did not know. So, the bioweapon in the safe had been the only one in existence, but that wouldn’t have mattered once it was replicated and spread throughout the vacationers on the cruise.

 

Except, of course, it hadn’t gotten that far. And now the compound was destroyed. Kagura had seen to that. His university, partnered with the proper authorities, effectively broke down and annihilated the components in a manner that ensured they could no longer be harmful. Kagura, in addition, received credit for the lab and fulfilled the requirement in that field, even though his professor had been killed halfway through the semester. He was rather pleased about that.

 

“When you’re better,” Aoto said later, smiling gently at Enomoto’s pale face, “Reiko invited us over for dinner. Apparently Kageyama is rather good in the kitchen, and Reiko said they always like to discuss investigations after dinner, with dessert, and there’s still quite a bit that needs unraveled here.”

 

Leaning closer to his ear, she whispered, “There are still more mysteries that need unlocked. We need you.”

 

She waited there a beat, hovering, listening to the soft whoosh of something being pumped through a small tube, before sighing and sitting back. Enomoto didn’t stir, and Aoto tried to ignore her building anxiety. Soon. Soon he’ll open his eyes. Soon he’ll wake up. Soon. Soon. Soon.

 

Enomoto’s skin was so pale, but she wondered if it had regained some color during the night, since new blood ran through his veins to replace what he’d lost. He was wearing a hospital gown, but it was unsnapped and pulled down around his left shoulder and pectoral to give the doctors and nurses access to the bandaged wound. His glasses were the only familiar article of his in the room, and they were laying, a little hauntingly, on the small table by the bed.

 

Once, early the previous evening, Aoto had pressed her lips cautiously against his-- and had recoiled violently, startled by how cold his mouth was. It had just been the two of them, and she’d hoped against hope that maybe, just maybe, if she kissed him... but then she found herself crying alone over how utterly lifeless and cold Enomoto’s lips were when they’d been so warm and soft before...

 

Aoto jumped, shaken from her thoughts, when the door opened. It was Shuntaro, dressed simply in blue jeans and a white tee shirt. His cheeks were flushed, lips parted and pink, and he huffed a little.

 

“There was something going on in front of the elevators, so I raced Nitta up the stairs,” he explained, catching his breath, “So, how’s he doing?”

 

Shuntaro gestured to Enomoto, but Aoto just stared at him. He shuffled a little uncomfortably under her gaze until he noticed she was blinking back tears, which had him immediately concerned.

 

“What is it, Aoto?” he asked, “What did the doctors says?”

 

But Aoto shook her head. It wasn’t what they said, but what she felt they didn’t tell her. The nurse seemed so sure Enomoto would wake up, and Aoto had almost convinced herself that he was just resting-- just building back his strength, but looking at Shuntaro was a shocking contrast.

 

Suddenly, Aoto realized just how shallow Enomoto’s breathing was, and how his skin... it wasn’t just pale, it was almost grey, like the wires or tubes puncturing it, taped to it-- and it was so obvious that Enomoto wasn’t just sleeping. Looking at flushed Shuntaro with his bright, questioning eyes-- there was no denying that Enomoto was very, very sick. The nurse had been kind, but maybe she’d also been wrong. 

 

“Don’t think that way,” Shuntaro urged.

 

“But you know how much blood he lost. His heart was barely beating... Don’t know how long his brain may have been deprived of oxygen.”

 

Aoto was on the definite verge of tears and Shuntaro couldn’t just stand there awkwardly like Nitta (who had been standing in the doorway for quite a while). No, Shuntaro swooped forward and gathered the trembling girl in his arms.

 

She immediately tamped down a sob, his skin nearly burning hers in its stark contrast to Enomoto’s. Shuntaro was so hot and alive. Aoto felt herself melting into that heat as her tears soaked his shirt, and Shuntaro pressed a small kiss into her hair as he stroked her back softly, letting her cry it out. Nitta was seriously considering coming back later.

 

“...she’s mine.”

 

All eyes flew to the hospital bed. Shuntaro’s head shot up, “What?”

 

“She’s mine,” Enomoto repeated, voice hoarse and barely more than a whisper but decidedly possessive. His dark eyes were focused on Aoto, who broke away from Shuntaro to grasp Enomoto’s hand, touch his face, everything.

 

“Of course I am,” she croaked, smiling through blurry eyes. She took his hand and brought it up to her cheek.

 

Enomoto still pouted, taking in the hospital room and filling in the blanks as to what was going on. He tried to sit up a bit but grimaced at the pain in his upper chest, and decided he’d rather just not move for a while.

 

“And I know she is,” Shuntaro added, smiling widely, “We were just worried about you.”

 

Enomoto’s lips quirked a bit at that, then he looked at Aoto, “It hurts.”

 

“Oh,” Aoto’s eyes widened, “You’re in pain? I’ll get a nurse.” She fumbled to find the nurse call button while still holding his hand.

 

“That’s what happens when you play hero,” Nitta finally stepped further into the room, smirking.

 

“Hm,” Enomoto replied, thoughtfully considering the ache in his chest. It definitely hurt.

 

“But you get to keep Aoto now,” Shuntaro’s smile was infectious, “You saved her skinny butt.”

 

“Hm,” Enomoto said again, but this time more pleased, and his lips twitched up at the corners as he glanced at Aoto pushing the call button twice for good measure.

 

“Shuntaro!” came Reiko’s voice, high-pitched from the hallway, and then she was rushing into the room and up to him. “You’d never call me an idiot, would you? You don’t think I’m thoughtless, do you?”

 

“Um, no,” Shuntaro replied, raising his eyebrows at the fierce woman.

 

“Good,” Reiko beamed up at him, “Then let’s go out to dinner tonight. Or to a movie. There’s a place I know... Or maybe to a club.”

 

“Like a date?” Shuntaro asked, a little confused.

 

“Yes! Exactly like a date,” Reiko answered, then she noticed Enomoto, “You’re awake!” 

 

She scurried over to the side of the bed with Aoto, asking him how he felt (“It hurts.”), and Nitta leaned toward Shuntaro, “I thought she was doing the butler.”

 

“Apparently not,” Shuntaro replied, and both men jumped at the hmph! from behind them to find Kageyama, glaring. The butler opened his mouth to say something, but was prevented by Reiko flinging herself into Shuntaro’s arms.

 

“Don’t bother with dinner tonight, Kageyama. Shuntaro and I are going on a date,” she purred into Shuntaro’s chest, eyes gazing lovingly up at the detective before flashing angrily at her butler, “He would never call me an idiot!”

 

“Um, Hosho-san--” started Shuntaro.

 

“Oh, call me Rei-chan,” the heiress told him, and Shuntaro did not miss the tick in Kageyama’s jaw as Reiko pressed herself even closer against him..

 

“My lady,” Kageyama’s voice was pleasant, but tight, “I didn’t say you are an idiot, I merely said you were acting like one. You told me I could be honest.” Shuntaro groaned and muttered about being too honest.

 

“Yes, and now I’m done looking at you. You are dismissed, Kageyama.”

 

“My lady...” Kageyama started .

 

“Fine,” sighed Reiko, “Visit with Enomoto first, since he’s awake. I’ll take Aoto downstairs to find something to eat. I don’t think she’s eaten anything all day.”

 

“But, I’d rather stay here with him,” Aoto complained, immediately, and Enomoto looked both pleased at her desire to stay with him and concerned that she didn’t eat.

 

“If you’re hungry, you should get something,” he said, flatly, not meeting Aoto’s eyes.

 

“No, no, I’m fine.”

 

Nitta rolled his eyes, “Well I’m hungry. Come on, Rei-chan. We can bring something up for everyone. You’re buying, though.”

 

“You want to go with me? Really?” Reiko asked, surprised, then as they were walking down the hallway, “Wait, I didn’t say you could call me Rei-chan.”

 

Once their voices disappeared down the hall, Shuntaro turned to Kageyama, “You told her she was acting like an idiot? Really?”

 

Kageyama just narrowed his eyes at the young detective and walked over to Enomoto. Everyone was kicked out of the room, though, when Serizawa arrived. He’d told Aoto to alert him as soon as Enomoto woke up, and the corporate lawyer had come to the hospital as soon as he was able.

 

Waiting outside the door with Shuntaro and Kageyama, Aoto cringed as Serizawa’s voice carried out into the hall. “What were you thinking, getting back involved with those kind of people? And putting not only yourself but Aoto in danger? Do have any idea what this does to my blood pressure? And I have all this work backed up, a few cases I’d like you both to look at-- Do you realize what could have happened to you two? You almost died, Enomoto!”

 

In the hallway, Aoto tried to start a conversation with Shuntaro and Kageyama, to block out the sound of her boss’s voice, but Kageyama still wasn’t speaking to Shuntaro, and Shuntaro grumbled how he wondered what kind of relationship was appropriate between a butler and an heiress, causing Kageyama to shoot him the ugliest look yet and Aoto couldn’t help but fear for her new friend.

 

“That’s it, Enomoto. You’re not going anywhere without telling me first, do you hear me? I want to know when you leave the city and why, and don’t give me that face. I’ll have Aoto keeping an eye on you, too,” Serizawa’s tone changed just slightly, sounding a little more tired, “Honestly, Enomoto. You come to me if you’re in trouble, do you understand? You do not need to take on everything by yourself. You’re not alone here.”

 

There was a pause, and inside the small hospital room, Enomoto’s expression went from carefully constructed blankness to almost stricken. 

 

He was not alone. 

 

People cared where he went, what he did, and if he came back again-- and not just because they wanted to use him. Enomoto maybe be socially skewed, but he could tell that Serizawa was upset because he cared, and Aoto cared, and he had the strangest feeling that the handful of random people he’d teamed up with on the cruise might just care about him too. 

 

And maybe, maybe he could care about them. He definitely cared about Aoto, and while he hadn’t given Serizawa much thought before, listening to the man scold him was somehow endearing. . . And Enomoto Kei was rarely endeared to anything. Except, perhaps, to a good lock. Or a good locked room mystery.

 

And, as cliche as he knew it was, when Serizawa opened the door to allow Aoto, a saucy-looking Shuntaro, and a rather tight-lipped Kageyama back into the room, followed almost immediately by Reiko and Nitta carrying bags of food along with Katayama and Kagura, who they claimed to have met up with in the hospital lobby, Enomoto could have sworn he felt a lock unlatch somewhere deep inside himself. 

 

The locked room was open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently working on an epilogue. Please keep an eye out for it, and thank you for reading my story! I hope it satisfies some of the void left by the drama.


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